On the Water in Maine: Taking Guest Services to a New Level

On the Water in Maine
Location: Rockport, ME
Website: OnTheWaterInMaine.com
Quick Quote: “LiveRez helps us stand out in our localized vacation rental industry by offering us a site that far supersedes anything that any of our local competitors offer.”

In the race for the vacation rental management company that offers the most services to its guests, Justin Ford thinks he’s got a winning horse.

Ford – co-owner of On the Water in Maine with his wife, Tiffany – has made it a priority to offer his guests just about anything they need to make their vacation a hit. In addition, when it comes to amenities offered, Ford is happy to put his company against anyone else in the country.

“There’s almost nothing we won’t do for a guest,” he said.

In the past, those services have gone as far as escorting guests to their island property by boat and picking them up in a helicopter – that’s right, a helicopter.

A sister company, also owned by the Fords, Maine Watercraft Rentals, Inc, also offers a complete line of rental boats, which includes canoes, kayaks, ski boats, ocean boats and more.

“Just about anything that floats, we rent it,” Ford said.  “And, we deliver them right to our guests’ properties. They’re tied up to the dock, fully fueled and stocked with life jackets when they arrive.”

With more than 200 vacation rental properties available across the Pine Tree State, On the Water in Maine has a corner on the state’s waterfront vacation experience.

“We offer more waterfront vacation rentals than anyone else in the state,” Ford said.

Whether you’re looking to stay on a lake or by the ocean, On the Water in Maine offers a range of properties that can meet just about any budget. And, unlike other companies that focus on one area, On the Water in Maine offers properties from all across the state.

If you’re thinking that the company being so spread out affects its service, stop right there. On the Water in Maine prides itself on excellent response times. In fact, they offer a guarantee that if you encounter a problem during your stay, they will respond within one hour – no matter where in the state you’re staying.

Ford said many of his guests are attracted to the state’s natural beauty.

“This isn’t a Disney World Experience,” he said. “It’s where you can hike on trails and go stand on the rocky coast and not see another human being for miles.”

Another big selling point is the food.

“Beyond the decadence of the Maine lobster, Maine is being recognized as a top culinary destination because of the high quality of foods offered at our restaurants,” Ford said.

And, in the summer months, Ford sees guests flock to Maine to escape the scorching summer heat in the cities.

“People love the fact that Maine has natural air conditioning,” he said. “While we certainly get into the 80s and 90s during some heat waves in the summer, people can come up here and get away from the Texas, Florida and Maryland heat.”

Understanding customers’ needs is one of the things that has helped keep On the Water in Maine successful.

“We keep a close pulse on the industry,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people do that. … We’re constantly adapting and focusing on what customers are looking for.”

Another ingredient in the company’s success has been its partnership with LiveRez.com.

About two years ago, Ford started looking for a system that could really increase the efficiency of his business.

“We had hit a pivotal point where we either needed to hire a bunch more people – which would have been expensive – or we needed to find a way to streamline our business.”

The company eventually decided that LiveRez was the answer, and they’re still reaping the benefits of that choice today.

“LiveRez let us operate our business with less staff, allowing us to generate more income by not having to hire additional people,” Ford said. “That was a huge thing for us.”

One aspect of the system that helped On the Water in Maine increase its efficiency was LiveRez’s reporting features.

“In general, the reporting functions have allowed us to be more efficient in cleaning, planning and long-range rental forecasting,” Ford said. “It also helped us understand the financial picture of our business better.”

Another part of the increased efficiency that LiveRez brought the business was giving travelers the ability to book properties online, which saved On the Water in Maine valuable time and made the booking experience more convenient for guests.

Ford said he constantly receives positive feedback from guests regarding the company’s LiveRez-powered website.

“We stand out in Maine, specifically, because no one else in Maine has as nice a website as ours,” he said. “So LiveRez helps us stand out in our localized vacation rental industry by offering us a site that far supersedes anything that any of our local competitors offer.”

Standing out is something that On the Water in Maine seems to do well. And when it comes to offering guests everything they need, Ford has even higher aspirations: He wants the business to stand alone.